Memorable teachers have a rationale or teaching philosophy that guides them to develop a learning environment that has a lasting impact on many of their students. The characteristics of such a learning environment could take years to refine in the face of many obstacles and negative pressures. Your guiding vision is an essential beacon for growing as a teacher!
How does a teacher develop a durable vision of his or her teaching. You were asked to reflect on what inspired you to teach and begin working on this vision in the first weeks of EDC 430. After observing your CT's classes, you were asked to refine this vision again at the end of the Fall semester. Now that you are a more experienced classroom teacher and are preparing to compete for a science teaching position, it is a good time to reflect on your observations and experiences that occurred over the year and refine and clarify your vision by considering these questions:
What kind of teacher do you want to be? What kind of teacher do you NOT want to be?
What lasting impact do you want have on each of your students?
What are you going to strive to accomplish in your upcoming teaching position?
How will your learning environment express your beliefs about teaching?
To prepare for this task, I have assembled some of your writings and observations along with your current teaching rationale. After considering these past writings, you can refine your rationale by clicking on the little "edit" button on the right side of the last section at the bottom of this page. If it is no longer applicable, you may choose to delete or update your iBrainstorm graphic if it is still at the bottom of your rationale statement.
Teaching Inspiration
My inspiration to teach has been at the hand of many people in my life. I can still remember the great teachers I have had in the past from elementary school to college. Unfortunately I can remember the bad teachers too. Every time I had a bad teacher I would think to myself why couldn't these teachers be like the good teachers. Although I always knew that I wanted a job where I could really give back to my community and make a difference in people's lives, I was unsure of how I wanted to do this. I explored careers like early childhood education, mental health counselor, and nursing. I was a "late bloomer", and felt very confused about where I would take my future. Nursing school seemed like the right choice for a job. People always said Nursing will allow you to choose your hours, and you will always have a job. I was frightened to take science at the college level, but I decided to bite the bullet. Although I hated touching people and the sight of bodily fluids and feces, I loved the science...I wondered why? Why did I love the science?
I thought back to my science teachers in high school, and I could remember why I disliked the subject. All we did was read text and memorize, memorize and memorize. When we were not memorizing, we were mindlessly plugging numbers into equations with little to no reason. It got to me to think about these teachers. Did they just not know how to engage students, or were they teachers who really disliked the subject? I would not really get to know the answers to these questions, but they made me ask others. What made me love science at the college level? I thought about the professors I had at Rhode Island College. Professors like Dr. Magyar, my chemistry teacher who always had an open door and let every student know that despite their past experiences they could get an A in Chemistry. Physiology was another class I enjoyed with Dr. Anthony. This class had engaging labs that really helped me to bring home the subject matter at hand and see the living organisms at work.
As I remembered these teachers, several of my high school teachers came to mind. Dr. Canestrari, who was far ahead of his time, using cooperative work similar to jigsaw activities, and varying his instruction constantly to keep his students engaged. In Dr. Canestrari's History class you were thinking critically and enjoying learning, and I hated history in high school. My Algebra teacher in the 9th grade, Ms. Sullivan, was not going to let me slide by in class without challenging myself. My speech teacher Mrs. Cerra had a boisterous personality made it acceptable to speak loudly and with confidence. The last teacher I will tell you about is Mr. Brodeur who was my model of integrity. This inspiration needs a little background knowledge. My high school was tracked in groups A,B,C and D. I was placed in an "A" level English course. In the 10th grade, my teacher Mrs. Whims told me that I was not capable of "A" work, and I should be moved to a "B" English class. I proved her right that year, but then I entered Mr. Brodeur's 11th grade English class. After receiving yet another "C" on an English paper, I brought up in classroom discussion that I thought teachers were biased based on pre-conceptions of students. After the discussion Mr. Brodeur agreed to grade all of the students papers with a code name. I will never forget Mr. Brodeur for listening to our concerns and doing something about it. His open demeanor really inspires me to this day.
Once I decided I really wanted to teach, I applied to URI as a bachelor candidate for secondary education and Biology. I knew I had some science catching up to do, and I could not apply to the graduate program until winter. I took Physics as my first class back to college, and I had not taken any type of calculus class since high school. The feeling of wanting to quit came rushing over me, but a caring professor Dr. Malik encouraged me to go on. I had dynamic lecturers like Dr. Heppner. Teachers who were so passionate about their subjects like Dr. Koske, and lecturers like Professor Tammaro that make lecture halls of 150 students interactive. I have written down in the back of my notebooks ideas I have learned from them that I hope to incorporate into my teaching
As I started to think back to all of the teachers I loved in the past, it made me ask one important question. How did they make me want to learn? They all had things in common. These teachers connected with their students, held high expectations, and were passionate about their subjects. Many of these teachers believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. I want to ignite learning fires. I want to be a teacher.
3/5 Lori Ann - This is a nice start. You should expand two or three of your influences in a series of 2-3 paragraphs and provide details of why you found them inspiring. An introduction and a conclusion will wrap things up nicely.
CT's Teaching Style
Observation/Reflection #3: A Matter of Style
Chose one of the prompts below:
During this visit, you should work with one or more groups of students if you haven't already, and observe your teacher doing the same. For this journal entry, describe your teacher's teaching style. What type of relationships with students does he or she nurture in his or her classes? How do students perceive that power is distributed in the classes? Does this vary within or across the different classes the teacher has? Cite examples from your observations to support your inferences. Remember to reflect on what style of teaching you will gravitate toward and the how you want to be perceived by your students.
Observe a laboratory activity or base your answer on past visits. How does your CT conduct a typical laboratory activity? How does he or she open the activity and organize student groups? How do students learn what they're expected to do during the period? Reflect on your reading about inquiry and your experience with the NECAP inquiry task. How did the laboratory activity you observe prepare students for the type of activities that might show up on the NECAP in the future? What inquiry elements would you strengthen? What science practices do you want to stress when you're teaching?
During my last visit to South Kingstown High School I observed the beginning of an inquiry based laboratory activity in a 9th grade earth science class. The teacher began the class by doing a quick review of her power point slides that the students had already taken notes on in a prior class. The slides covered Newton's third law of motion, the Universal law of gravitation and free fall. After this the teacher quickly went over the homework with her students. She gave the homework to the students who lost the sheet or just did not do it. This was only a few students. The homework was only on the universal law of gravitation, but on the back of the sheet was an example of the equations you may see on a NECAP. All of the beginning class activities were a nice lead into the activity.
The teacher let the students choose their own groups of 3-4 students. The worksheet said using your knowledge of motion , how would you determine the height of the stairwell without measuring the distance. My CT let the students struggle with the paper. I noticed right away that the students were chatty and giggling. If I were to run this lesson, I would not let students pick their own groups. I also would have had the students in smaller groups of 2-3 students. From the research I have done group size can be a factor in productivity if people in the group do not have an assigned job. To my surprise with a bit of prompting for a few of the groups and a bit of time to chat, the students began to really talk it out and try to figure out the task at hand. From a teacher's perspective it was quite a beautiful process. My CT stayed out of the process, but had all of the groups who had finalized their idea check with her. Groups that chose the wrong idea were asked questions. With these questions the students came to the realization on their own that their ideas would not work under these circumstances. Many of the students used their notes from the power point or the worksheet with the equations that you may see on a NECAP exam to help them to come to a decision on how they would accomplish this task.
When I am teaching science, I would like to do more of these type of inquiry activities. Many of the students who breezed through the homewok had Aha moment during this process. Like I mentioned earlier I think that choosing the groups and making them smaller would have been more productive with this assignment. I may have gone over the questions with the students quickly, but I think having the students read the sheet on their own is more consistent with the NECAP. During the NECAP teachers will not be able to go over the questions with the students. My CT as smart to give the students an equation bank. This gets students more familiar with the NECAP process. I felt that the class had a nice flow to it, and the students were excited to put their ideas into practice for the next class. I will definitely activate the students prior knowledge like my CT right before a lab activity. Fantastic Lesson!
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Game of School Reflection
In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements? How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes? What similarities, if any, did you see between the descriptions of American classes in the Teaching Gap and the Game of School? Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?
The game of school is something that I have seen to some extent at all three of my placements this semester. I see students writing down words without thinking while they are taking notes. I see students performing calculations without even understanding what the formulas are for or what the question is even asking them. I have watched students read through laboratory procedures and still have no idea how to perform the lab. Even if the procedure has only 10 short steps they will still ask the teacher to explain what they need to do rather than read it again. These are just some of the examples I am rattling off while I am thinking of the game from the student’s perspective.
Then we have the teacher’s perspective. I have seen teachers correcting papers while students are doing group work, yet the students are not really doing group work because the teacher is not watching the students. While students should be performing inquiry activities, teachers are not wandering the classroom seeing who is on target and who has completely no idea. I have seen teachers lecturing their students from one point in the classroom while three or four students are doing nothing at their desks. On the other hand, I have learned first hand that teaching is a fine-tuned juggling act that must take years to perfect, and that even when you are trying your hardest not every child will engage every day.
Teachers do use strategies that beat the game. I have also seen teachers use hooks that have students on the edge of their seats. I have seen teachers incorporate multiple intelligences into their practice to reach out to students who may not enjoy their subject. I have seen teachers that treat their students like scientists on a quest for learning through field botany assignments or through taking the time to explore the unexpected in a lab activity.
While thinking about my own teaching philosophy, I have realized exactly what I have signed up for. I believe that much of my time at home will be spent planning activities and correcting papers that I will never have time to complete during the day if I truly want to engage my students. Frequent formative assessment will be necessary with higher level questioning to see who really understands the topics and not just going through the motions. I will need to reach out to fellow colleagues to see what activities work best for them. The use of resources from other colleagues and the fine art of changing those lessons to work best for my students individual needs will help me to diversify my instruction. In my classroom I hope to design activities that my students will be interested in which will be a piece to my relationship-centered instruction.
Rules of Engagement
What are some of the rules you will try when you are a teacher full time?
When I am a full time teacher some of my rules will be
One voice
Respect (for yourself, others and your work)
Safety (safety as in lab safety, and making sure all students feel it is safe to contribute to class, not threatened by their peers)
How do you react to the definitions and guidelines for engaging students?
I think that engaging students is obviously important
The list of ideas sparks thoughts for improving my teaching
What strategies are you using to engage your students? To disengage your students?
Engage: I try to ask questions of the students before they know the answers and have a quick discussion about the answers before the answer is given. My students seem to respond well to this. (At least on a good day).
try to give real life examples that students can relate to
Disengage:
I have used teacher designed worksheets
Revise YOUR TEACHING RATIONALE BY CLICKING ON THE EDIT BUTTON BELOW
My journey as a teacher is just beginning, and I find myself constantly pondering the teaching learning process. I have become aware that everything that I do in the classroom makes a difference in how children learn. Research has been done on so many different topics, and though I can be aware of the resources to me as a teacher to change my practice as problems arise, I need to pick what is most important to me as I embark on my educational career. I decided to focus on the four concepts that I found to be most important. The four are relationship-centered teaching, classroom management, student engagement and passion for my content area.
Relationship-centered teaching values student opinions. The goal in this type of classroom is to make a positive environment for the students. In my classroom students will be supported, respected, and valued as integral members of our community. Research shows that students who are supported in this way will be intrinsically motivated. Students in relationship-centered classrooms also show less high-risk behavior. It has been proven that relationship-centered environments have more student participation and student satisfaction. In this welcoming classroom environment, students will feel safe to take risks. Students who feel safe to take risks are more apt to demonstrate higher-level thinking, creativity and intellectual curiosity. In this type of climate my students will know that I have an open door, they are safe in my classroom and that I am approachable. For this higher level learning and level of safety to take place, classroom management is vital.
Management will begin with a cooperatively created firm set of rules that will be clearly communicated to my students and posted in my room. Students will need to sign an agreement about these rules. When students violate the rules, I will treat them with respect and not single them out in front of many other students. These violations will have logical consequences. If I find that these methods of discipline are not woking, I will work with the student and the administration to try to find a solution to the problem. Like Curwin and Mendler have proven, students who feel their dignity is threatened will be more likely to misbehave. Instead of addressing the student as difficult I will address the behavior. I will start my conversations with “I” instead of “you”. Haim Ginott’s research has exhibited that by speaking to students this way and giving them genuine praise you can create a positive environment for all students. Effectively managed classrooms challenge all students. It will take practice, to effectively,manage a classroom where all students are challenged this is what I will strive to do. The most effective classroom teacher does not treat all students the same. Students learn in many different ways, and in an effort to reach all students I will vary my instruction offering students a wide range of educational experiences and multiple opportunities for assessment. I will informally assess students often throughout the school year. Teachers who assess their students often are aware of what their students have learned and can create more opportunities and ways for all students to acquire knowledge. To manage all students effectively their individual needs must be met.
Student engagement creates a dynamic classroom environment. The more engaged students are the more they learn. Students will focus on lessons when captured by personal student openings. When students collaborate for difficult tasks, they are more likely to be engaged. Student engagement involves more than just dynamic teaching. Classroom environment can affect student engagement. It is important to know where to sit each student for minimal distraction, but the physical environment is also important like where is the teacher's desk and how are the seats arranged. Teachers must also design lessons that keep student interest and apply to them directly. Once students are engaged, giving them valuable specific feedback will keep them engaged. Without student engagement, teachers are just talking and students are not learning. I want a classroom that is alive with student participation and questioning.
Passion in the content of science can set the classroom on fire. Teachers who teach with excitement engage more students. I will teach my students that the greatest scientists took many risks, and sometimes failed before they made the greatest discoveries. I will create lessons that meet the state and federal requirements of what the students need to learn. Students will be engaged in cooperative learning, higher level thinking and questioning. Students who possess these skills have a greater understanding of the content. Curiosity will be valued in my classroom because scientists make discoveries based on observations and questions. This authentic scientific practice gets children doing science, and the children who “do” science are proven to engage. I will show students the latest discoveries in our content so they can see the progress of science and how it evolves. Authentic activities and linking science to relevant every day experiences lets students see why science is important.
As I begin my career as a teacher, I enter it through the clear eyes, of a 37 year-old woman. I understand what I am up against with the changing laws of education like the No Child Left Behind Act, core content standards, and the ever-changing requirements to be a teacher. I know that good lessons take hours to prepare, and that every year I will be challenged academically and emotionally. I am making the life long learning commitment to be a teacher because I want to inspire students in any way I can. I will attend as many professional developments as I can in an effort to constantly raise the bar of my teaching. By exhibiting the qualities of relationship-centered teaching, classroom management student engagement and passion for science content, I will create a positive and safe learning environment for all students.
[[image:/file/view/iBrainstorm-3.jpg/263302652/800x584/iBrainstorm-3.jpg width="800" height="584"]]
Rationale Synthesis
Memorable teachers have a rationale or teaching philosophy that guides them to develop a learning environment that has a lasting impact on many of their students. The characteristics of such a learning environment could take years to refine in the face of many obstacles and negative pressures. Your guiding vision is an essential beacon for growing as a teacher!
How does a teacher develop a durable vision of his or her teaching. You were asked to reflect on what inspired you to teach and begin working on this vision in the first weeks of EDC 430. After observing your CT's classes, you were asked to refine this vision again at the end of the Fall semester. Now that you are a more experienced classroom teacher and are preparing to compete for a science teaching position, it is a good time to reflect on your observations and experiences that occurred over the year and refine and clarify your vision by considering these questions:
To prepare for this task, I have assembled some of your writings and observations along with your current teaching rationale. After considering these past writings, you can refine your rationale by clicking on the little "edit" button on the right side of the last section at the bottom of this page. If it is no longer applicable, you may choose to delete or update your iBrainstorm graphic if it is still at the bottom of your rationale statement.
I thought back to my science teachers in high school, and I could remember why I disliked the subject. All we did was read text and memorize, memorize and memorize. When we were not memorizing, we were mindlessly plugging numbers into equations with little to no reason. It got to me to think about these teachers. Did they just not know how to engage students, or were they teachers who really disliked the subject? I would not really get to know the answers to these questions, but they made me ask others. What made me love science at the college level? I thought about the professors I had at Rhode Island College. Professors like Dr. Magyar, my chemistry teacher who always had an open door and let every student know that despite their past experiences they could get an A in Chemistry. Physiology was another class I enjoyed with Dr. Anthony. This class had engaging labs that really helped me to bring home the subject matter at hand and see the living organisms at work.
As I remembered these teachers, several of my high school teachers came to mind. Dr. Canestrari, who was far ahead of his time, using cooperative work similar to jigsaw activities, and varying his instruction constantly to keep his students engaged. In Dr. Canestrari's History class you were thinking critically and enjoying learning, and I hated history in high school. My Algebra teacher in the 9th grade, Ms. Sullivan, was not going to let me slide by in class without challenging myself. My speech teacher Mrs. Cerra had a boisterous personality made it acceptable to speak loudly and with confidence. The last teacher I will tell you about is Mr. Brodeur who was my model of integrity. This inspiration needs a little background knowledge. My high school was tracked in groups A,B,C and D. I was placed in an "A" level English course. In the 10th grade, my teacher Mrs. Whims told me that I was not capable of "A" work, and I should be moved to a "B" English class. I proved her right that year, but then I entered Mr. Brodeur's 11th grade English class. After receiving yet another "C" on an English paper, I brought up in classroom discussion that I thought teachers were biased based on pre-conceptions of students. After the discussion Mr. Brodeur agreed to grade all of the students papers with a code name. I will never forget Mr. Brodeur for listening to our concerns and doing something about it. His open demeanor really inspires me to this day.
Once I decided I really wanted to teach, I applied to URI as a bachelor candidate for secondary education and Biology. I knew I had some science catching up to do, and I could not apply to the graduate program until winter. I took Physics as my first class back to college, and I had not taken any type of calculus class since high school. The feeling of wanting to quit came rushing over me, but a caring professor Dr. Malik encouraged me to go on. I had dynamic lecturers like Dr. Heppner. Teachers who were so passionate about their subjects like Dr. Koske, and lecturers like Professor Tammaro that make lecture halls of 150 students interactive. I have written down in the back of my notebooks ideas I have learned from them that I hope to incorporate into my teaching
As I started to think back to all of the teachers I loved in the past, it made me ask one important question. How did they make me want to learn? They all had things in common. These teachers connected with their students, held high expectations, and were passionate about their subjects. Many of these teachers believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. I want to ignite learning fires. I want to be a teacher.
3/5 Lori Ann - This is a nice start. You should expand two or three of your influences in a series of 2-3 paragraphs and provide details of why you found them inspiring. An introduction and a conclusion will wrap things up nicely.
Observation/Reflection #3: A Matter of Style
Chose one of the prompts below:During my last visit to South Kingstown High School I observed the beginning of an inquiry based laboratory activity in a 9th grade earth science class. The teacher began the class by doing a quick review of her power point slides that the students had already taken notes on in a prior class. The slides covered Newton's third law of motion, the Universal law of gravitation and free fall. After this the teacher quickly went over the homework with her students. She gave the homework to the students who lost the sheet or just did not do it. This was only a few students. The homework was only on the universal law of gravitation, but on the back of the sheet was an example of the equations you may see on a NECAP. All of the beginning class activities were a nice lead into the activity.
The teacher let the students choose their own groups of 3-4 students. The worksheet said using your knowledge of motion , how would you determine the height of the stairwell without measuring the distance. My CT let the students struggle with the paper. I noticed right away that the students were chatty and giggling. If I were to run this lesson, I would not let students pick their own groups. I also would have had the students in smaller groups of 2-3 students. From the research I have done group size can be a factor in productivity if people in the group do not have an assigned job. To my surprise with a bit of prompting for a few of the groups and a bit of time to chat, the students began to really talk it out and try to figure out the task at hand. From a teacher's perspective it was quite a beautiful process. My CT stayed out of the process, but had all of the groups who had finalized their idea check with her. Groups that chose the wrong idea were asked questions. With these questions the students came to the realization on their own that their ideas would not work under these circumstances. Many of the students used their notes from the power point or the worksheet with the equations that you may see on a NECAP exam to help them to come to a decision on how they would accomplish this task.
When I am teaching science, I would like to do more of these type of inquiry activities. Many of the students who breezed through the homewok had Aha moment during this process. Like I mentioned earlier I think that choosing the groups and making them smaller would have been more productive with this assignment. I may have gone over the questions with the students quickly, but I think having the students read the sheet on their own is more consistent with the NECAP. During the NECAP teachers will not be able to go over the questions with the students. My CT as smart to give the students an equation bank. This gets students more familiar with the NECAP process. I felt that the class had a nice flow to it, and the students were excited to put their ideas into practice for the next class. I will definitely activate the students prior knowledge like my CT right before a lab activity. Fantastic Lesson!
The game of school is something that I have seen to some extent at all three of my placements this semester. I see students writing down words without thinking while they are taking notes. I see students performing calculations without even understanding what the formulas are for or what the question is even asking them. I have watched students read through laboratory procedures and still have no idea how to perform the lab. Even if the procedure has only 10 short steps they will still ask the teacher to explain what they need to do rather than read it again. These are just some of the examples I am rattling off while I am thinking of the game from the student’s perspective.
Then we have the teacher’s perspective. I have seen teachers correcting papers while students are doing group work, yet the students are not really doing group work because the teacher is not watching the students. While students should be performing inquiry activities, teachers are not wandering the classroom seeing who is on target and who has completely no idea. I have seen teachers lecturing their students from one point in the classroom while three or four students are doing nothing at their desks. On the other hand, I have learned first hand that teaching is a fine-tuned juggling act that must take years to perfect, and that even when you are trying your hardest not every child will engage every day.
Teachers do use strategies that beat the game. I have also seen teachers use hooks that have students on the edge of their seats. I have seen teachers incorporate multiple intelligences into their practice to reach out to students who may not enjoy their subject. I have seen teachers that treat their students like scientists on a quest for learning through field botany assignments or through taking the time to explore the unexpected in a lab activity.
While thinking about my own teaching philosophy, I have realized exactly what I have signed up for. I believe that much of my time at home will be spent planning activities and correcting papers that I will never have time to complete during the day if I truly want to engage my students. Frequent formative assessment will be necessary with higher level questioning to see who really understands the topics and not just going through the motions. I will need to reach out to fellow colleagues to see what activities work best for them. The use of resources from other colleagues and the fine art of changing those lessons to work best for my students individual needs will help me to diversify my instruction. In my classroom I hope to design activities that my students will be interested in which will be a piece to my relationship-centered instruction.
Revise YOUR TEACHING RATIONALE BY CLICKING ON THE EDIT BUTTON BELOW
Teaching Philosophy
My journey as a teacher is just beginning, and I find myself constantly pondering the teaching learning process. I have become aware that everything that I do in the classroom makes a difference in how children learn. Research has been done on so many different topics, and though I can be aware of the resources to me as a teacher to change my practice as problems arise, I need to pick what is most important to me as I embark on my educational career. I decided to focus on the four concepts that I found to be most important. The four are relationship-centered teaching, classroom management, student engagement and passion for my content area.
Relationship-centered teaching values student opinions. The goal in this type of classroom is to make a positive environment for the students. In my classroom students will be supported, respected, and valued as integral members of our community. Research shows that students who are supported in this way will be intrinsically motivated. Students in relationship-centered classrooms also show less high-risk behavior. It has been proven that relationship-centered environments have more student participation and student satisfaction. In this welcoming classroom environment, students will feel safe to take risks. Students who feel safe to take risks are more apt to demonstrate higher-level thinking, creativity and intellectual curiosity. In this type of climate my students will know that I have an open door, they are safe in my classroom and that I am approachable. For this higher level learning and level of safety to take place, classroom management is vital.
Management will begin with a cooperatively created firm set of rules that will be clearly communicated to my students and posted in my room. Students will need to sign an agreement about these rules. When students violate the rules, I will treat them with respect and not single them out in front of many other students. These violations will have logical consequences. If I find that these methods of discipline are not woking, I will work with the student and the administration to try to find a solution to the problem. Like Curwin and Mendler have proven, students who feel their dignity is threatened will be more likely to misbehave. Instead of addressing the student as difficult I will address the behavior. I will start my conversations with “I” instead of “you”. Haim Ginott’s research has exhibited that by speaking to students this way and giving them genuine praise you can create a positive environment for all students. Effectively managed classrooms challenge all students. It will take practice, to effectively,manage a classroom where all students are challenged this is what I will strive to do. The most effective classroom teacher does not treat all students the same. Students learn in many different ways, and in an effort to reach all students I will vary my instruction offering students a wide range of educational experiences and multiple opportunities for assessment. I will informally assess students often throughout the school year. Teachers who assess their students often are aware of what their students have learned and can create more opportunities and ways for all students to acquire knowledge. To manage all students effectively their individual needs must be met.
Student engagement creates a dynamic classroom environment. The more engaged students are the more they learn. Students will focus on lessons when captured by personal student openings. When students collaborate for difficult tasks, they are more likely to be engaged. Student engagement involves more than just dynamic teaching. Classroom environment can affect student engagement. It is important to know where to sit each student for minimal distraction, but the physical environment is also important like where is the teacher's desk and how are the seats arranged. Teachers must also design lessons that keep student interest and apply to them directly. Once students are engaged, giving them valuable specific feedback will keep them engaged. Without student engagement, teachers are just talking and students are not learning. I want a classroom that is alive with student participation and questioning.
Passion in the content of science can set the classroom on fire. Teachers who teach with excitement engage more students. I will teach my students that the greatest scientists took many risks, and sometimes failed before they made the greatest discoveries. I will create lessons that meet the state and federal requirements of what the students need to learn. Students will be engaged in cooperative learning, higher level thinking and questioning. Students who possess these skills have a greater understanding of the content. Curiosity will be valued in my classroom because scientists make discoveries based on observations and questions. This authentic scientific practice gets children doing science, and the children who “do” science are proven to engage. I will show students the latest discoveries in our content so they can see the progress of science and how it evolves. Authentic activities and linking science to relevant every day experiences lets students see why science is important.
As I begin my career as a teacher, I enter it through the clear eyes, of a 37 year-old woman. I understand what I am up against with the changing laws of education like the No Child Left Behind Act, core content standards, and the ever-changing requirements to be a teacher. I know that good lessons take hours to prepare, and that every year I will be challenged academically and emotionally. I am making the life long learning commitment to be a teacher because I want to inspire students in any way I can. I will attend as many professional developments as I can in an effort to constantly raise the bar of my teaching. By exhibiting the qualities of relationship-centered teaching, classroom management student engagement and passion for science content, I will create a positive and safe learning environment for all students.
[[image:/file/view/iBrainstorm-3.jpg/263302652/800x584/iBrainstorm-3.jpg width="800" height="584"]]